We talked about the upcoming Porsche 918 Spyder just a few posts back, and here is the first bunch of spy shots showing us a prototype caught on film while testing in Germany. The pictured model sports the new, almost-definitive livery of the 918 Spyder even though the model is not supposed to make its debut on the markets until the second half of the next year.

Some people consider this car as the spiriutal successor of the iconic Carrera GT (that was listed in Porsche’s line-up some ten years ago) and just like the Carrera GT, the 918 Spyder will have a removable top, that by chance is open in the pictures. As previously stressed out, the 918 Spyder will be a hybrid supercar powered by a 4.6-litre V8 credited with an output of 570 hp, a 109 hp electric motor at the front and a 120 hp electric motor at the rear: in other words, the 918 Spyder is expected to deliver close to or more than 800 hp.

With a price tag expected to be in the 660,000 € area (roughly 530,000 £ / 850,000 $) this will not be the sort of car that you will be able to see at every corner, but since it is believed that only 918 units will be produced, chances are that you will only get to see it live at some motor show next fall and that’s it.

View the full Porsche 918 Spyder spy shots photo gallery

It reminds us of the Porsche 917 racer, and this is something that makes its birth even more exciting: the new Porsche 918 Spyder - which the German manufacturer describes as a “super sports car” - is still undergoing testing at the Nardò ring in Italy (as we reported in a previous post) but the news is that the model is finally sporting its real body work, which is thought to be pretty close to what will be the final design of the car.

The model is a sportscar pushed by a plug-in hybrid powertrain that includes a 4.6-litre V8 petrol engine delivering 578 hp and two electric motors: the first one produces 122 hp and is located within the 7-speed automatic gearbox, while the other one, producing 109 hp, is in charge of delivering extra traction to the rear axle. The combined power of these units should provide the model with a total output of about 780 hp, with a maximum torque of 769 Nm that can go up to 948 Nm when in overboost. Impressive numbers that should provide for impressive performance figures: 0-100 km/h (62 mph) sprint time of about 3 seconds, 0-200 km/h (124 mph) in about 9 secs and a top speed in the 325 km/h (202 mph). Almost needless to say, this car is bound to set new standards for the whole category.

Porsche claims that the model is currently being tested in order to find a right balance between its electric and mechanical power sources, a compromise solution that would provide the car with its own personality. Besides, the engineers and technicians working on the prototypes are also trying to keep consumption and emissions down to a minimum without affecting its performance, an aspect that they are definitely not overlooking. Other highlights of the model will include a CFRP safety frame, active aerodynamics and two flashy exhaust outlets placed right behind your head: check them out in our pics. The model is expected to debut in its final form in September 2013.

View the Porsche 918 Spyder gallery

And finally here it is: the Porsche Macan, the new baby SUV from the German sportscar manufacturer based on the same platform that generated the Audi Q5. Check it out as this is not a regular ‘mule’: this is it, the real deal, the almost definitive version of the car, spotted in its full body for the first time. They tried to fool our photographers by hiding it with a light camouflage, to make it look loke bigger brother the Cayenne, but they did not succeed.

Although the Macan will share its platform with the Q5, Porsche will fine tune the chassis and also give the Macan better brakes and other wheels. Power will come from petrol and diesel engines supplied by Audi, but Porsche will fine tune them too, so that the Macan will boast higher power figures than the Q5.

An hybrid version of the car will also be made available with a 2.0-litre TFSI unit delivering 210 hp combined with a 44 hp electric motor. That will help Porsche to come closer to the average CO2 goal of 130 g/km that all car manufacturers need to reach by 2015. The Porsche Macan will be launched with four doors initially, but later on there might be a sportier looking two door version as well.

View the full Porsche Macan spy shots gallery

Porsche has released a video of the new Boxster, displayed in public for the first time during the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. The mid-mounted sports car from Zuffenhausen has a strong stylistic personality, more defined than the previous version, somewhat inspired by the iconic Carrera GT. Under the hood lies a six-cylinder boxer engine with either a 2.7-litre unit with direct injection and the more powerful 3.4-litre for its S variant.

The base model develops 10hp more than the previous version, now up to 265hp; while the sportier one delivers 315hp. Both versions are equipped with a standard six-speed manual transmission although a seven-speed automatic PDK dual-clutch gearbox is available on request.

The new Boxster, with a lighter overall weight, can cover the 0-100 km/h in 5.7 seconds, 5 seconds flat for the S. Fuel consumption is claimed at 7.7 l/100Km for the 2.7 litre. The 3.4-litre, however, consumes an average of 8 litres per 100 km.

After introducing the Cayenne GTS at the Beijing Motor Show, Porsche has released some official videos showing a few dynamic scenes on the road. The latest version of the German SUV is positioned between the Cayenne S and Cayenne Turbo, both in terms of performance and price.

The new Porsche Cayenne GTS mounts the same 4.8-litre V8 engine of the Cayenne S, with a maximum output of 420 hp and 520 Nm of torque delivered at 3,500 rpm. Top speed is 261km/h and sprint from standstill to 100km/h is covered in just 5.7 seconds.

The GTS’ external appearance might be quite similar to the Porsche Cayenne Turbo, but the car will be priced at £67,000 in the UK, £12K less than the Turbo version. The new Porsche Cayenne GTS will go on sale from July.

Porsche has presented the new Cayenne GTS at the 2012 Beijing Motor Show. The high performance SUV is shown in a new series of images, portraying the distinctive features of the model, such as decorative stitching on the upholstery and seat belts in contrasting colours that match the bodywork shade.

The Porsche Cayenne GTS is positioned between the Cayenne S and Cayenne Turbo, mounting the same 4.8-litre V8 engine, with output increased of 20hp compared to the S. The power generated increases to 420 hp, delivered at 6,700 rpm, with maximum torque of 520Nm at 3,500 rpm. Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h is covered in 5.7 seconds with a top speed of 261 km/h.

The car displayed at the Chinese world premiere will go on sale in July with prices starting at £67,147. Aesthetically speaking the GTS presents a few new details, compared to the Cayenne S: emphasised side-skirts, wider wheel arches, new alloy wheels and “twin-wing” roof spoiler, as well as sportier internal features and an enhanced dashboard.

Porsche is working on a third model of Cayenne S, this time equipped with a more powerful and higher performance diesel engine than the V6 diesel fitted on the current Cayenne. The rumour has been reported by Car and Driver, although it’s still unclear which engine will be used for this model: a possible choice could be the 4.2-litre V8 unit used on the Audi A8 (with 346 hp and 800 Nm), even though it’s not the freshest engine or it could be replaced by a next-generation unit, similar to the one Bentley is planning for its future models.

Another option could be the interesting 3.0 TDI with dual turbocharging system, whose output (313 hp) and torque (650 Nm) are not far from the values of the eight- cylinder unit. The Porsche Cayenne S diesel will complete the range of the S variants along with S Hybrid and S petrol.

The second generation Porsche Cayenne is once again available in GTS, a sports setup positioned between the S and Turbo. It mounts a 4.8-litres V8 engine with 420 hp, 20 hp more compared to the one fitted on the Cayenne S. The Cayenne GTS accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds, covering the 0-160 km/h in 13.3 seconds and reaching a top speed of 261 km/h, while the average consumption is equal to 10.7 litres per 100 kilometres. This version will be available from July and will be featuring gloss black trims, wider wheel arches and side skirts and a more profiled rear spoiler. The GTS is 24mm lower than the Cayenne S.

View the full Porsche Cayenne GTS photo gallery

The Porsche 918 Spyder is taking its first steps on the track: the Zuffenhausen cutting edge prototype has been test driven on the speed track Nardo Ring. The model, one of only three existing, is fitted with a 4.6-litre V8 petrol engine with 578 hp maximum power, supplied by the RS Spyder race car. This engine is assisted by two electric motors: a 122hp one, installed in the 7-speed gearbox, and a 109 hp unit, that powers the front axle.

Overall, the maximum power is around 800 hp, while torque is 749 Nm, but it reaches 948 with overboost. Thanks to the spectacular output the Spyder 918 Series can eat up the 0-100 km/h in about 3 seconds, the 0-200 km/h in under 9 seconds with a top speed of 325 km/h. It can also travel up to 145 km/h driven by electric motors only. This hybrid supercar features a 6.8 kWh battery that allows it to travel up to 26 km on electricity alone. The recharging is done in 3 hours with a 220V charger. Porsche technicians, however, are exploring ways to reduce the recharge time to 20 minutes.

The components are not fully defined yet, but the new flagship model will have a frame made of aluminum and carbon fibre, weighing just 220kg, while the overall weight of the vehicle should be around 1680 kg. We will have to wait until the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show for its official debut.

Here is just a recap of the previous post about the new Porsche Boxster 981 and 911 Cabriolet. The arrival of spring urges Porsche to update the whole range of open top cars. For this reason, the Zuffenhausen’s manufacturer went to the 2012 Geneva Motor Show to introduce the Boxster 981 and the 911 Cabriolet, which have nothing in common with the previous generations.

The mid-mounted sports car is offered in the traditional Boxster and Boxster S versions: the first one comes with a 2.7-litre six-cylinder boxer engine with direct fuel injection developing 265 hp, while the S boasts a 3.4- litre delivering 315 hp and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 5 seconds flat (5.7 for the Boxster). The 911 Cabriolet, instead, is proposed in the traditional Carrera and Carrera S versions with an output of 350 and 400 hp. The electronically controlled fabric soft top with magnesium frames opens and closes in 11 seconds. Also includes an integrated glass window as standard.

View the full Porsche Live at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show gallery.

It seems like summertime has come a little earlier at the Porsche’s stand in Geneva as the main attractions there are the beautiful, young and topless Boxster 981 and 911 Cabriolet (991-series), both of which have been completely renewed.

The mid-mounted Porsche Boxster 981 is somewhat inspired by the legendary Carrera GT and comes with either a 2-7-litre unit with direct injection or the more powerful 3.4-litre for its ‘S’ variant. The former delivers 265 hp ( registering a ‘+10′ hp over the model it replaces while the latter is credited with an output of 315 hp (+5). Both version will come with a standard 6-speed manual transmission, although a 7-speed automatic PDK dual clutch gearbox is also available as optional extra. Having lost quite a few pounds during the renewal process, the new Boxster can now burn the 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.7 seconds, 5 seconds flat for the ‘S’ version, while fuel consumption went down as well: the German carmaker claims an average consumption of 7.7 l/100km for the 2.7-litre and 8 l/100km for the 3.4 unit.

The Porsche 911 Cabriolet makes its debut in Europe at the Swiss event as both Carrera and Carrera S variants are already available for order: the former is pushed by a 3.4 litre 6-cylinder boxer engine delivering 350 hp while the latter uses a 400 hp 3.8 unit. Both these powertrains come with a 7-speed manual transmission, with the familiar 7-speed automatic PDK option will also be available upon request. The model uses an electronically controlled fabric soft top with magnesium frame and integrated glass window that needs 11 seconds to complete both raising and stowing.

View the full Porsche Live at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show photo gallery

The colleagues from CarNews have released yet another video, this time starring the recently unveiled Porsche 911 Carrera Cabrio. The model belongs to the latest 991-series and comes with either a 3.4- or a 3.8-litre boxer engine, delivering 350 hp and 400 hp respectively. Both units can be coupled to a seven-speed manual or a seven-speed PDK dual clutch transmission, a choice that would slightly affect the performance figures of the model.

Let’s take the 3.4-litre variant for instance: the 911 Cabrio with manual gearbox boasts a 0-100 km/h (62 mph) sprint time of 5.0 seconds, with 286 km/h (177.7 mph) of top speed, whereas the PDK version hits the 100 km/h mark in 4.8 seconds (4.6 if equipped with the Sport Chrono Package) with 284 km/h (176.4 mph) of top speed. Same goes for its environmental impact: the manual version is credited with an average fuel consumption of 9.2 l/100 km, with CO2 emission rated at 217 g/km, while the PDK has a fuel consumption of 8.4 l/100 km with 198 g/km of CO2 emission.

The 3.8-litre unit equipping the 911 Carrera S Cabriolet instead can accelerate from standstill to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.7 seconds with the manual gearbox, with the PDK it does that in 4.5 seconds (4.3 seconds with Sport Chrono Package), reaching a top speed of 301 km/h (187.0 mph) with the former and 299 km/h (185.7 mph) with the latter. Fuel consumption and CO2 emission figures with the manual transmission are 9.7 l/100 km and 229 g/km respectively, whereas for the PDK variant they are rated at 8.9 l/100 km and 210 g/km.